Q&A: CRAYON’S DEBUT ALBUM PONDERS “WHAT IS HOME TO YOU?”
INTERVIEW
INTERVIEW
☆ BY NTHATILE MAVUSO ☆
Photo: Alexandra Waespi
CRAYON’S INTENTIONAL AND MEDITATIVE APPROACH TO HIS MUSIC IS EVIDENT — even in the thoughtful approach to his answers. This feature has been a long time coming, and within the territory of email Q&As, it is rather easy for there to be a layer of separation. Still, while reading through the answers Crayon provided for our interview, I could feel and measured approach to each and every one of the questions.
This voice and pen is ever present in his debut album. While his position as producer does not necessarily allow for a vocal performance, the overall curation of Home Safe is unmistakably and uniquely his. This project is an incredibly close-to-the-heart debut, from its thematic elements to the way it was produced.
The best word or phrase to describe the immersive experience of this production would most likely be “soundscape” or “sonic world.” Yet, the vibrant world on Home Safe goes beyond music and the collaborations that form its soul. The album’s genesis took place in a shared Paris apartment, where Crayon and jazz pianist Bastien Brison hosted intimate Sunday jam sessions. These gatherings blended live music, dance, and visual art, creating an atmosphere of spontaneous creativity and raw emotion.
Crayon, whose stage name draws from his love of art and “drawing what he was hearing,” has become an integral contributor to the Parisian music scene as a producer for French rappers like Josman, Dinos, and Prince Waly. With this project, he steps into the spotlight as a solo artist with an offering that celebrates the electronic genre and his community while also asking the complex question, “What is home to you?”
Luna had a thoughtful and layered discussion with the Parisian producer about the moments that made up this personal debut, the shift from behind-the-scenes to the spotlight, and the visual identity behind Home Safe.
Photo: Alexandra Waespi
LUNA: Home Safe feels like such a personal project. What was the moment that made you realize this needed to be more than just a collection of songs, that it was an album about home, healing and memory?
CRAYON: I’m glad if that comes across. The themes came together while I was working on it back at my mom’s house. Interestingly, the first song that began the album-making process was actually Home Safe. Little did I know I was about to embark on a healing journey a few months after writing it, with Jo from Tora and Ingo on guitar.
Being a producer above all else, meaning I don’t sing, I couldn’t imagine making an album that felt like a compilation of guests doing their thing. I needed it to feel as personal and intimate as a folk singer-songwriter record, because at the end of the day, it’s telling my own story, even if it’s through someone else’s lens.
LUNA: You’ve worked behind the scenes with so many iconic French rappers, but Home Safe places you fully in the spotlight. What was the most challenging shift in stepping from producer to solo artist?
CRAYON: It’s interesting because, and that’s probably not a great thing for a producer, I approach everything the same way, whether creatively or in terms of communication. I put the same energy and level of involvement whether I’m making songs for myself or for another artist. The main difference is that when it’s for someone else, they decide when the work is done. When it’s for me, I allow myself to keep exploring. But I’ve worked on projects for others that had that same kind of experimental approach, and I was just as proud, if not more, when it was finally released.
LUNA: The Sunday jam sessions in your Paris apartment sound magical. How did those gatherings influence the energy or spontaneity we hear on the album?
CRAYON: I think they taught me to truly appreciate musicianship, like how a drummer doesn’t just play the drums. By the end, I could tell who was playing just by their sound. The same drum kit in the same room could feel completely different depending on who was behind it. It sounds basic, but I was never a big gig-goer and spent most of my early years in music working on a computer. That allows for endless possibilities, but live music is a completely different world. The focus on this album, and in my production in general, was to find the perfect balance between that live feel, the musician’s virtuosity, and the electronic precision that software provides.
LUNA: From FKJ and ELIZA to Rhye and anaiis, the lineup on Home Safe is incredible. How did you approach collaboration? Did you have specific artists in mind for certain tracks, or did the process unfold more organically?
CRAYON: Thank you so much. Honestly, these are all artists who have influenced me and the record itself, and I’m super honored to have them on board. FKJ and I have grown together and been friends for years, even sharing a studio in Paris back in the day. I learned a lot from him, from production to jamming, which I literally started doing with him in that studio.
We both listened to ELIZA a lot when she started her new project, so it felt natural to ask her to collaborate once we had that song idea. I’ve also been a huge fan of Rhye for years and sent him the demo for Strange People. I was honestly so hyped when he accepted. It’s still surreal to me that we have a song together. anaiis and I were introduced by Lossapardo, who’s a close friend and collaborator. I worked with her on a song for her second album at the time, and I think we’re a great match creatively.
LUNA: You describe your music-making process as “painting with sound.” Can you walk us through how that visual thinking shapes your production choices, especially on a track like Diamond Miner?
CRAYON: Generally speaking, I always aim for the music to evoke certain colors, tints and visual textures. It’s like working with a specific palette, one with very saturated, sometimes pastel-like tones, and I don’t stop until I can see those colors.
For Diamond Miner specifically, I switched the palette and went for minimalistic tones, almost black and white, purposefully avoiding bright colors so the vocal could find their own space and color. Over time, I’ve come to focus on more traditional, natural-sounding instruments to create contrasts that are very dear to me. It’s like expressionism: if you take Otto Dix or Egon Schiele, some elements are super realistic while others are completely distorted. That approach influences me a lot.
LUNA: The papier-mâché masks and surreal visuals created with Sulian Rios are stunning. Why was it important to create this alternate visual identity rather than showing yourself directly?
CRAYON: It was never really about showing myself or not. It was about illustrating what making the album felt like, the process and everything that happened through it. I moved back to my mother’s place after a big mental breakdown. Going back felt both familiar and terrifying, like I had completely failed at life, though she was very supportive and understanding. I was stuck in this dreamlike state, fighting my demons.
When I stumbled upon Sulian’s work, I felt an instant connection. He later told me he started making those sculptures out of boredom in his hometown, and that whether the masks come across as scary or warm depends on the viewer. That subtle nuance is exactly what I’m drawn to, both in music and message.
The white suits express the purity one might feel after a fresh start, which is exactly what going back home and finishing the album represented. The table in the visuals belonged to my grandmother, and I’ve always been attached to it. The chairs are from the same maker. I actually drew this scene beforehand, and that process brought me back to my younger years, when I spent all my time drawing and listening to music.
Then came Alexandra Waespi, whose refined, handcrafted photographic textures brought it all to life for the cover.
LUNA: Your sound feels handcrafted, textured, warm, even nostalgic. How did your childhood memories and the quieter moments in your life shape the sonic palette of Home Safe?
CRAYON: I think everything I do is for that younger version of myself, even if that sounds cliché. I was a very anxious child, and this kind of music and atmosphere soothed me. I made this record with those sensations in mind, as a way to stay connected, to realign, and to almost travel back in time to hand this collection of songs to that child I was. Like a gift.
Albums used to be great gifts, something tangible you could dive into, with booklets, lyrics and credits. I’m still attached to that format because of how nostalgic it feels. The sonic palette of Home Safe also has a modern side, as it relies heavily on computers and new technologies, like AI stem separation. It also carries a kind of adult-like sobriety. It resonates with my current self just as much as it would have with the person I was when I first started the demos years ago.
LUNA: What do you hope people walk away with after listening to Home Safe—not just musically, but emotionally or even spiritually?
CRAYON: I think this record isn’t sad or happy. It’s quiet and controlled, but it has moments where it lashes out a bit. It’s very grey. It’s about embracing nuances and grey zones.
I don’t think it’s a bad record, but I don’t think it’s a great one either. Being judgmental is human, but also detrimental to our well-being. Accepting that some things just are has brought me a lot of peace. The world isn’t evil or kind; it just is. That probably sounds deep, and I doubt anyone will reach those conclusions just from listening, but that’s what I’d hope for. It’s meant for people who wish they didn’t have to box things, or people, in. It’s made to encourage contemplation, to accept the passage of time, and to find beauty even in the toughest moments of loneliness.
